Category Archives: children

Children with healthier diets are smarter, research proves

by J. D. Heyes

(NaturalNews) Most parents want to do whatever they can to ensure they give their children every advantage and opportunity to succeed in life. According to new research, that also includes making sure they have a healthy diet.

According to a new study led by University of Adelaide, public health researcher, Dr. Lisa Smithers in Australia, children fed healthier diets early on have slightly higher IQs, while those with heavier junk food diets have slightly lower IQs.

“Diet supplies the nutrients needed for the development of brain tissues in the first two years of life, and the aim of this study was to look at what impact diet would have on children’s IQs,” Smithers said.

Researchers compared a range of dietary habits from more than 7,000 children, including traditionally prepared food at home, pre-prepared baby foods, breastfeeding and “discretionary,” or junk foods. They looked at a link between the eating habits of children at six months, 15 months and two years, and their IQ at eight years of age.

Breastfeeding also helps

“We found that children who were breastfed at six months and had a healthy diet regularly including foods such as legumes, cheese, fruit and vegetables at 15 and 24 months, had an IQ up to two points higher by age eight,” said Smithers.

“Those children who had a diet regularly involving biscuits, chocolate, sweets, soft drinks and chips in the first two years of life had IQs up to two points lower by age eight,” she added. “We also found some negative impact on IQ from ready-prepared baby foods given at six months, but some positive associations when given at 24 months.”

She went onto say that the study reinforced the need for parents to ensure their children eat right at an early age, to aid in their physical and mental development.

“While the differences in IQ are not huge, this study provides some of the strongest evidence to date that dietary patterns from six to 24 months have a small but significant effect on IQ at eight years of age,” Smithers said. “It is important that we consider the longer-term impact of the foods we feed our children.”

More on higher IQs

Along these lines, a separate study found that children with higher IQs at age 10 tended to become vegetarians by the time they reach 30.

The results of that study, published in the British Medical Journal, involved a study of 8,179 men and women. Researchers found that 366 (4.5 percent) of them said they were vegetarian, and of those, nine (2.5 percent) were vegan while 123 (33.6 percent) said they were vegetarian but ate fish or chicken.

On average, vegetarians had a higher childhood IQ score than non-vegetarians, said Britain’s Metro newspaper.

“Vegetarians were more likely to be female, to be of higher social class (both in childhood and currently), and to have attained higher academic or vocational qualifications, although these socioeconomic advantages were not reflected in their income,” the researchers said.

“Higher IQ at age 10 years was associated with an increased likelihood of being vegetarian at age 30,” they added. “IQ remained a statistically significant predictor of being vegetarian as an adult after adjustment for social class, academic or vocational qualifications, and sex.”

They concluded: “Our finding that children with greater intelligence are more likely to report being vegetarian as adults, coupled with the evidence on the potential benefits to cardiovascular health of a vegetarian diet, may help to explain why higher IQ in childhood or adolescence is linked with a reduced risk of coronary heart disease in adult life.”

Like this:

(NaturalNews) Children who are breastfed and eat healthy foods during childhood experience better physical development than children who eat poor diets. It has also been speculated that the consumption of quality foods leads to a higher IQ, but few long-term studies have been done until now. Researchers at the University of Adelaide looked at the link between eating habits and IQ.

The study of more than 7,000 children showed that kids who are breastfed and have a healthy diet during the first two years of life, have a slightly better IQ at the age of eight than children who are eating junk foods.

Children who were eating a diet based on legumes, cheese, fruits and vegetables had a two point higher IQ at the age of eight. Kids who ate mostly processed foods and food with a high-carbohydrate density, experienced two points lower IQ.

Although there was only a small difference in IQ, it can be assumed that a more controlled study would have led to significantly better improvements. The healthy children in this study were definitely eating more nutritious foods than the unhealthy group, but they were still consuming a fair amount of typical western foods. Also, the study only looked at the diet at 12 and 24 months, not the remaining six years up until age eight.

It’s well established that children who are breastfed develop a healthier gut flora and better immune system than children who are given formula and ready-prepared baby foods. The research at theUniversity of Adelaide reveals that breastfeeding also can positively affects the IQ of the child.

This study shows that children who consume mostly whole foods during the first years of life have a slightly higher IQ when they grow up. Children who are not eating western foods and base their diet exclusively on organic whole-foods will most likely have an even higher IQ.

Despite our technological advancements and economic expansion; we are getting dumber and dumber because of poor nutrition. Feeding a growing child processed junk foods directly influences the child’s development and should be considered child abuse.

About the author:Eric is the editor of OrganicFitness.com and GutFlora.com. He’s an independent writer with a strong interest in personal health and the power of nature to help us heal. His entire adult life he’s been studying the underlying causes of disease and how to accomplish optimal health. He’s mostly writing about the human microbiome, inflammation, gut permeability and other health subjects. Eric works as a personal trainer and currently coaches a few dedicated clients on their way to a better physique. He specializes on barbell- , kettlebell- and sprint- training. Subjects like mass building and weight loss are some of his favorites.Eric believes that lifestyle choices have to be made on an evolutionary basis!

Eric is the editor of OrganicFitness.com and GutFlora.com. He’s an independent writer with a strong interest in personal health and the power of nature to help us heal. His entire adult life he’s been studying the underlying causes of disease and how to accomplish optimal health. He’s mostly writing about the human microbiome, inflammation, gut permeability and other health subjects. Eric works as a personal trainer and currently coaches a few dedicated clients on their way to a better physique. He specializes on barbell- , kettlebell- and sprint- training. Subjects like mass building and weight loss are some of his favorites. Eric believes that lifestyle choices have to be made on an evolutionary basis!

The New Reality: Retirement Planning For Your Children

It is always a smart idea to teach your kids about saving and investing as early as possible. You give your child the greatest chance at financial success by starting them off while they are still young. It is pretty easy if your use the following tips to execute a financial plan for your child. The following is a guest post by Lisa Cintron.

At a time when economic worries have everyone scrambling for financial security, the thought of investing in your child’s retirement may seem absurd. Or does it?

In the past, even a single generation ago, people could rely on Social Security and pensions to get them through retirement. The people who made investments coasted through their retirement, but that was then. Now, facing a job market that no longer offers pensions and a Social Security system on the verge of bankruptcy, people know they must initiate their retirement planning much sooner than every before. Helping your children begin a life of saving and investing in their future is something every parent must do. Simple steps can be followed to make this change in saving habits much easier.

* Start a mutual fund for your child(ren). After the initial investment most mutual funds will allow you to contribute as little as $50 dollars each time you make a deposit. Encourage friends and relatives to make contributions in lieu of large gifts. Require your children to invest a portion of any gift money they receive.

* Reduce amount of money that is used to purchase gifts during the holidays. By investing half the amount you would spend on toys that are soon forgotten. you will be able to amass a substantial retirement account for your children.

* Make deposits automatically. When you have deposits automatically withdrawn from your bank accounts it is easier to manage your money.

* Live beneath your means. This is crucial for saving for your own, and your child’ s futures. You cannot save anything if you spend it all.

* Use tax credit wisely. Every child age 17 and under receives a $1000 tax credit from the federal government. Dedicate this credit to the mutual fund each year, regardless of any other plans you may have for your refund.

* Take advantage of tax deferred state plans. Many states offer tax exempt or tax deferred programs for minors.

Investing one hundred dollars a month over the course of forty years will generate over a million dollars in savings. If the savings begin when the child is quite small, the investment value is sure to exceed the million dollar mark before retirement age.

By making it a habit to invest into your child’s future, they will also learn to invest. It is imperative to instill into today’s child that they are responsible for their future, and every action must reflect that responsibility.